Brother Giovanni's Little Reward: How the Pretzel Was Born

K-Gr 2— In this warmhearted story of invention, Brother Giovanni happily works in the monastery bakery, singing as he kneads his dough. Down the hall, all is not well in the classroom. The unruly children will not learn their prayers for the upcoming visit from the Bishop. The Abbot turns to the young and energetic monk for help. After several unsuccessful attempts to get through to the children, Brother Giovanni finally comes up with a solution. In the company of his orange tabby cat, the optimistic baker concocts a special treat, bread rolled and twisted into the shape of praying arms. He decides to call his creations pretiolas—little rewards. Bringing a basket of the freshly baked rolls to class, he instructs the children to fold their arms over their chests in the shape of the pretiolas and pray. Eager to sample the baked goods, the children do as he asks and learn their prayers. Beginning with eye-catching endpapers that portray Brother Giovanni riding from the monastery to a hilltop village, the cheerful illustrations welcome readers into the monk's medieval world. Executed in pastel watercolor inks and gouache, each scene reflects the warmth and ebullience exuded by the kind baker. In the style of illuminated manuscripts, many of the pictures are framed with elegant, decorative borders. A reader's note explaining the historical background of the legend and a recipe for soft pretzels are appended.